Politics & Government

Salem Mayor Using Furloughs To Balance Budget

The coronavirus crisis presented "an especially unique challenge" to balance the budget, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said.

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While in a typical year Massachusetts towns and cities would have already approved their budgets, the coronavirus crisis has forced them to rework the spending blueprints and wait for guidance on how much state aide they can expect.
While in a typical year Massachusetts towns and cities would have already approved their budgets, the coronavirus crisis has forced them to rework the spending blueprints and wait for guidance on how much state aide they can expect. (Dave Copeland/Patch)

SALEM, MA —Salem would rely on voluntary and involuntarily furloughs of city workers to fill an $8.4 million revenue shortfall in a budget proposal sent to city council by Mayor Kim Driscoll.

City council is scheduled to begin debating the proposal for the fiscal year beginning July 1 Thursday night. While in a typical year Massachusetts towns and cities would have already approved their budgets, the coronavirus crisis has forced them to rework the spending blueprints and wait for guidance on how much state aide they can expect.

According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, 30 employees have already volunteered for furloughs of one to four weeks. Other furloughs would be implemented by closing City Hall at 3:30 instead of 7:30 on Thursdays during the month of August.

Find out what's happening in Salemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Related Story: Salem Teachers Agree To Furloughs To Balance $63 Million Budget

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